


In Reverse

by zinniapetals



Series: laws of attraction [1]
Category: Magic Kaito
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:07:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29363733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinniapetals/pseuds/zinniapetals
Summary: Something was telling her that if she let him go now, if she let him sneak out her window like he's done so many times in the past, things will never be the same."Stay."
Relationships: Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid & Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko
Series: laws of attraction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/548197
Kudos: 18





	In Reverse

**Author's Note:**

> Cleaning out my computer and noticed I never posted this. This is set after Aoko's and Kaito's visit to the amusement park. I guess also before Kuebiko since tensions haven't risen too far yet.

Aoko, do you know why people lie? It's either to protect themselves or to protect others. So lie for me, because you want to protect me, don't you?

Aoko yelped as she opened her eyes, her hand pressed against her chest, clenching the fabric there. She blinked away the memory of cold words and a colder smile, relaxing as she recognized where she was.

"What's going on?" She mumbled, relaxing her fingers so they weren't digging into her chest anymore. She quirked her brow at her childhood friend who was leaning over her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other planted near the side of her head. "I'm in bed...so why are you here?"

"You fell asleep on the train back," Kaito explained, his arms quivering as he held himself up over her. "I didn't want to wake you so I carried you from the station to here but maybe I should have left you on the train since you're being so ungrateful."

Aoko huffed, leaning up on her elbows so Kaito could get his arm back. She smirked as he pulled away, rubbing his shoulder absentmindedly.

"Did you carry me bridal style?" Aoko coyly asked, Kaito glaring at her in response.

"I should have carried you like a sack of potatoes," he mumbled, groaning when she kicked him in the thigh. 

"You're such a -- mrf!" 

Aoko's shouting was interrupted as Kaito shut her up by covering her mouth with his hand. He tsked loudly and turned his head toward her door, relaxing when he didn't hear anything.

"I can't understand you so you might as well be quiet," Kaito said, rolling his eyes at Aoko loud mumbling as she continued to try to talk. "You do realize it's almost 2 in the morning, your dad's right next door, there's a boy in your room...need I go on?"

Kaito withdrew his hand as Aoko bit his palm, a small smirk tugging at his lips. She rubbed her mouth, frowning petulantly at her friend who seemed amused at her actions.

"But the boy is you which makes this situation a moot point," Aoko murmured, words contradicting to what she was actually feeling. "Anyways, I'm safe in bed so you can go now."

"I still haven't received a thanks," Kaito pointed out, hands on his hips as he leaned forward to invade her personal space. "You're heavy you know? Not to mention you kept saying my name loudly, so that warranted a few stares. Now you have to thank me and apologize for embarrassing me."

"I said your name while sleeping?" Aoko screeched, wincing as she realized how loud she was being. She quickly thought back to what she was dreaming about, figments of her imagination quickly escaping her. "You're lying! Please tell me you're lying!"

"Oh?" Kaito asked, smirking at her red face. "So you were dreaming of me! You're such a pervert Ahoko."

Aoko grabbed the closest pillow, whacking Kaito across the head with it. He held his head in exaggerated pain and groaned, falling face first on her bed, mumbling something about damn rollercoasters into the mattress.

"Huh?"

"I said," Kaito repeated, turning his face towards her general direction to avoid a mouthful of comforter, "you are such a brute."

"Hold up, let me go get the mop."

"No," he whined, his lips easily falling in a smile as Aoko huffed loudly. "Are you feeling better now?"

"What do you mean?" 

Kaito was silent for a moment, debating whether to continue on with the topic or to drop it. He rolled over to his side, his back facing Aoko as he spoke.

"You seemed upset on the train ride back and then," he paused for a moment, "I heard you say something about your mother."

Aoko inhaled sharply, her face burning at the information. 

"So I didn't say your name?" She asked instead, sighing loudly and then leaned over to tug at Kaito's ear. "You're such a liar!"

Kaito rolled over again, now facing Aoko as he gave her a lopsided smile. "But your reaction made me think you actually did, so maybe you're the one lying."

Aoko gave him her signature, are you stupid stare, rolling her eyes as she also lay down, facing Kaito.

"I feel like it's been years since you visited my room," she mumbled, her fingers itching to push back Kaito's bangs that were messily strewn about his forehead. "It feels even longer since I visited your room."

"It's not like my room has changed all that much," Kaito replied, his lips quirked up in response to his own private joke. "You know you're welcome to come over anytime you want." "You say that but whenever I go over we just stay in your living room or we come back to my house. I miss when we were kids and we'd sneak out to each other's rooms and our parents would freak out at the sight of one of our beds empty."

"That was only for the first couple of months," Kaito corrected her, laughing at the memory. "And if I recall correctly, it was only your dad that would freak out. My parents were totally cool with their kid vanishing at night and not returning until the next day."

Aoko laughed at that because whenever she did sneak over to Kaito's house, in the morning there was always more than enough breakfast for all four of them. 

"Yeah? Well how about the time we caught your dad sneaking out and we tried to follow him because we thought he was having an affair?"

Kaito paused for a bit and then snorted. "Well now it makes sense," he mumbled, reaching out to flick Aoko's forehead as she stared questioningly. "And that was your idea! I knew my parents would never cheat on each other, they loved each other too much to do so."

"But you had fun you can't deny it! Especially when we ran away from that cop that tried to make us go to the station with him." 

"It was all downhill from there," Kaito mused. "If I ever go to jail, I'm blaming this all on you."

Aoko scoffed at that, her smile slowly fading as she recalled the day's events. She set out that morning to provide evidence that Kaito was not Kid, and yet, despite everything going smoothly, the closer that Kid’s heist got, the more distant and strange Kaito became. Not to mention the whole weirdness during the movie theater… No, she promised herself she wouldn’t think about it. She wouldn’t remember how sweaty and exhausted Kaito was after the movie, or how he hesitated when she asked if Kaito was really only Kaito.. 

"Just...just don't get caught?" She offered weakly.

"Oh? Is the daughter of the Kid Task Force really telling me not to get caught? The irony." Kaito teased. "Shouldn't you be telling me not to get in trouble with the law in the first place?"

"Y-yeah! You're right!" Aoko agreed, trying to regain control of her hectic thoughts and tried to change topics. "Plus, I can't see you getting into trouble, unless it has to deal with sexual harassment."

"Hey! I'll have you know that I am a perfect gentleman."'

"Says the boy who walked into the girl's locker room despite it being locked," she replied dryly.

"I told you, it was for your own good."

"You can't blame us for getting mad! You saw most of us in only our bra and underwear!"

"It's not like there was anything to gawk at," Kaito said, shrugging at Aoko's indignant gasp. "Especially in your case."

"Why you-" The sound of her dad coughing loudly caused her to pause, eyes wide as she heard his door squeak as it opened. She bit her lip and stared at Kaito's apprehensive face, his face barely showing his nervousness of the possibility of being caught so late in her room. 

She waited, breathing softly, mapping out where her dad was by the sound of his footsteps. The sound of the toilet flushing and her dad's door closing got them to relax.

"I'll take that as my cue to leave," Kaid murmured, a yawn punctuating his sentence.

Aoko watched as Kaito moved to lie on his back, staring up at the glow in the dark stars they put on the ceiling when they were younger. He sighed softly, sitting up and scooted closer near the edge of the bed, running his hand through his hair.

"You know," he started, his voice soft and barely a whisper. "I had a lot of fun today. I didn't realize I needed something like this. Thanks Aoko."

Aoko never put much faith in her sense of intuition. After all, it had led her astray many times and done more harm than good, but looking at Kaito now, she couldn't ignore the strange feeling in her gut. 

It could have been the way he stared out her window, out into the vastness of the dark sky, the full moon seeping through the gap of her curtains and illuminated him. It could have been the way he turned to face her, his lashes seeming even longer due to the shadows that strewn over his cheekbones, his lips faintly resembling a sorrowful smile. 

Maybe it was the way his poker face, the one he wore so proudly in times of trouble, seemed it be splintering as a look of forlornness seeped through. Maybe it was the way he sighed, half turning away from Aoko’s face, another fleeting emotion passing by too quickly for her to analyze.

But most possibly, it could have been the way he reached out, his face now completely closed off, as he tucked strands of her hair behind her ear and how his knuckles slowly ghosted down her cheek.

Something was telling her that if she let him go now, if she let him sneak out her window like he's done so many times in the past, things will never be the same. 

"Stay."

"What?" 

Aoko wanted to giggle at the way Kaito's face furrowed in confusion but the atmosphere was too fragile, she feared even talking louder than a hushed whisper would break the spell casted between them.

"Stay with me tonight," she pleaded, her hand capturing Kaito's, holding it between both her palms. "It can be like old times. I promise not to push you off the bed or hog all the blankets."

"Aoko."

She could see the way was internally debating with himself, his eyes hard and calculating as he weighed the pros and cons. It was a look she's been seeing more often lately. 

"I smell," Kaito said, his way of denying her request. "I'm all nasty and gross from riding roller coasters and I should probably brush my teeth and then change clothes-"

"I smell too," Aoko rebutted, her hands squeezing Kaito's. "I won't brush my teeth if you don't. I'll even lend you some of your clothes that I took from your room but never returned."

"Wait, what?"

"Please," Aoko begged, her emotions suddenly going haywire as she felt like crying. "Just for tonight. You can leave in the morning, before my dad even wakes up."

Kaito was silent, his eyes searching hers, as if trying to find an ulterior motive.

"How about until I fall asleep?" She offered, grasping at straws to make him stay.

"Okay." Kaito relented, sighing loudly and ran his hand through his hair making it look effortless despite her holding his dominant hand captive. "I'll stay here until you fall asleep."

Aoko beamed at him, the sinking feeling from earlier slowly ebbing away. "Thank you Kaito."

"You're so demanding today," Kaito grumbled, taking back his hand, clenching and unclenching it a couple of times. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood or else I would have denied your request."

"Is that so?" Aoko asked, biting her lip before deciding to take the risk. "In that case, I have one more request."

"Let me hear it and I'll see if the Great Kaito will accept."

"Can I hug you?"

Kaito blinked at that, any sign of teasing and slight happiness gone as it was replaced with a guarded blank look. Of course, if anyone else heard that, it would seem harmless, however between them, it was their little code. It was something to ask when either of them were too overwhelmed with something and needed solace. He faltered, unsure of the source of her distress but he nodded, watching as Aoko carefully made her way to him.

She lifted one leg over his lap, carefully straddling him as she hooked her hands around his neck. She leaned in, pressing her body flush against his, setting her head into the crook of his shoulder.

“First asking me out on a date, then to spend the night, and now this?” Kaito asked as he set his hands on her hips, repositioning her into a comfortable sitting position that wouldn’t cause problems for him later on. He then snaked his arms around her waist, settling his cheek on the top of her head, and squeezed her gently. “We might as well be regressing back to our elementary school days.”

She knew that they were getting too old to continue doing this, but she didn’t bring up the last time he asked for a hug, and Kaito was thankful for that. 

It was after he came home from his first night out as Kid and there she was, out on her balcony, staring up at the night sky and he jumped over the fence between their houses. He climbed up to her room, asking her for a hug, and despite her being shocked, she easily set down the mug of hot chocolate she had, and opened her arms. Kaito rushed in and enveloped her, breathing in the calming scent of lavender and something that was distinctly Aoko. 

“You’re breaking rule number one Kaito.” She chided, her lips brushing against his neck as she talked. “No conversations while we’re like this.”

Kaito muttered sorry, rubbing his hands up and down her back like he used to when they were kids. It was Kaito that came up with this rule; after all, Aoko was a nervous talker, always trying to get to the root of things while Kaito liked to contemplate in silence. 

“Rule number two,” she continued on, her own hands tracing the newfound muscles on Kaito’s back that had formed, a stark difference from the lanky kid she remembered him to be. “Anything that happens between us stays between us.”

Aoko was the one that made this rule after Kaito asked one day if she felt better about her failed confession in front of her dad. It took a while to calm him down and explain that no, she wasn't sad anymore and no, he did not have to go beat up the guy who rejected her. These moments belonged to only them, and Aoko cherished every single hug she’s shared with Kaito so far, no matter what the reason was.

“Rule number three,” Kaito finished for her. “If the other party doesn’t want to explain why they need this, then no asking.”

This was a rule they both suggested and easily agreed on. There were things that they couldn’t tell each other, reasons why they would rather evade the truth than flat out lie to each other. Kaito thought of it after he need consolation of another holiday without his dad, not wanting Aoko to know that he still dwelled in the past and Aoko complied, understanding wholeheartedly that their relationship needed leeway and flexibility in order to stay strong and connected. 

Aoko hummed, her heart beating loudly, as she breathed in the scent of smoke and roses mixed with sweat and Kaito’s cologne. It was unfair, truly. So unfair that the boy she grew up with suddenly transformed into the boy she was currently being comforted by and somewhere between then and now, she wasn't sure how that even happened.

Where was the boy that pulled on her pigtails and demanded to be cheered up because someone mentioned that he was loud and annoying, or where was the boy that held her hand tightly while she ignored the harsh words from girls that were jealous of the time she spent with him? Now she received a cold shoulder for prying too much, cruel words about her only living family, hidden smiles and guilty expressions. 

“Kaito,” she mumbled, her exhaustion from walking all over the amusement park finally catching up with her as her heavy lids refused to open. “Don't leave yet.”

Kaito hummed in response, his hands slowing down his up and down motions on her back as she pushed away from him. He watched her get off, kicking off her shoes and taking off her socks as she lifted her comforter. He smiled gently as she wiggled around, eyes widening as she threw her bra across the room, her face hidden in the shadows.

"We're not kids anymore Ahoko," Kaito replied, his tone fond at her soft huff. “We shouldn't be doing this stuff anymore.”

“I’m not sleepy yet,” she slurred, her feet prodding at Kaito’s thigh from under the covers. “Don't go. Not yet.”

Kaito waited for her breathing to even out and left the minute he was able to close his eyes at her sleeping face without guilt rising through his chest threatening to suffocate him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! It was supposed to be much longer but honestly, I don't even remember what followed this lmao I think about this AU so much better don't have any time to write, maybe I'll just post the snippets and portions I do have...hmm anyways!! thank u for reading ;v;


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